Golf Tips for Beginners

When you watch golf on television, you may assume that hitting a golf ball doesn’t appear to be very difficult. The first time you try, you will soon find your initial assumption was inaccurate. However, millions of people enjoy playing the game of golf as recreation. Golf can be an excellent way to get some exercise.

There is also the social atmosphere inherent in the game. Not everyone is talented enough to master the skills necessary to play like the pros on TV. However, you can gradually learn to play at a very capable level, even if you’ve never swung a golf club before. Here are [] tips to help you improve your golf game as a beginning player.

Hit the Driving Range

The best way to improve your ability to hit a golf ball straight is to practice hitting golf balls. Since you can’t stand out on a course and repeatedly smack balls up the fairway, you need to put in time at the driving range.

Beginners can scatter out a row of golf balls, and hit dozens of shots in succession using the same club. You can learn to hit balls off the tee with your driver. Since a ball sitting on a tee is easier than a ball flush with the grass, this is where most beginners prefer to start.

However, once you begin to become more comfortable swinging a golf club and making consistent contact, it will be easier to hit balls lying flush with the ground. Again, the first time you hit a golf ball, any misguided assumption that it is easy will vanish. But don’t worry, time spent on the driving range is the first key to gradually mastering the game of golf.

Practice the Art of Putting

While playing miniature golf sure looks the same as putting a golf ball for real, it’s just not quite the same. Sure, you can practice your putting skills while enjoying a family day at the mini-putt-putt course, but to truly develop this important skill, you need to putt on a golf course green.

There is nothing quite as fulfilling as a pristine drive up the fairway followed by a spectacular chip that drops on the green. However, when these great shots are followed by three, four, or more putts, your air of enthusiasm will evaporate.

Beating the ball back and forth on the green in a frustrating attempt to bury it in the hole, can be the ultimate in frustration. Avid golf fans know well how course designers torment golfers with all sorts of difficult terrains used on the greens.

While it might seem nice to have them all perfectly flat, that is not the case. Practicing the art of putting will help you deal with this vast array of undulations. Just like practicing the skill of hitting the ball with your woods and irons, putting is a skill perfected with practice.

Improved golf skills are developed through repetitive practice. Once you’re confident in your ability to hit the ball with a fair degree of accuracy and putt with fewer misses, you can take your talents out on the golf course.

One last thing for beginners to remember is patience. Always keep in mind how much more difficult you found actually hitting a golf ball was to seeing someone else do it. The PGA golfers you see on the TV play golf to earn a living.

For all the hours you see them in competitive tournaments, there are countless hours practicing at the driving ranges and on practice greens. Even the finest golfers in the world appreciate the need for constant practice.

When you do finally venture out for your first 18 holes, jot down a few notes about things that happen. Note certain clubs you have difficulty with, or types of shots that seem tougher. Take these notes back with you to the driving range and practice using these clubs. Just keep in mind that golf takes patience. With that in mind, practice, practice, practice, and have fun out there.